Khondaker Hasibul Kabir, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, BRAC University along with engineer Md. Shamim Haider (from J A Architects) and architect Ahammad-al-Muhaymin (from BUET) participated in the 3rd Regional Workshop of Community Architects Network. The workshop was organized by CAN (Community Architects Network) in Manila and Muntinlupa cities, Philippines, on 15-25 June 2015. CAN works under the umbrella of ACHR (Asian Coalition for Housing Rights), which works in 19 countries of the region. The main objectives of the workshop were to help city-wide community networks of Philippines to solve their housing problems and to make this community-led process visible to city authorities. During the workshop 150 community architects and community organizers from 13 different countries resided with the local communities and worked together with 7 different low-income urban communities. The outcomes of the workshop were presented by the community people to the Mayor, local authorities and funding organizations.
Since its inception the Department of Architecture, BRAC University has been working with low-income communities through its curriculum and through action research. During the country sharing session Kabir shared these works as background and introduced POCAA (Platform of Community Action and Architecture) and its activities in three cities of Bangladesh. POCAA was initiated in 2013 led by fresh graduates, teachers and students of the Department of Architecture, BRAC University. In the end of the workshop it was decided by the core team of CAN that the next workshop will be organized in Bangladesh in 2016.